Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals late Monday and remains in critical condition, his team announced early Tuesday morning.
The Bills tweeted just before 2 a.m. on Tuesday that Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field after he collapsed following a tackle, and he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing and treatment. The team said Hamlin had been sedated.
Hamlin stood up after tackling a Bengals player during the first quarter of the game but fell to the ground a few seconds later. He received CPR, and an ambulance came onto the field to take him to the hospital.
The Bills-Bengals game was temporarily suspended after Hamlin’s collapse and then postponed about an hour later. Members of both teams were visibly shaken by the incident.
Hamlin is 24 years old and in his second year in the NFL. He was drafted by the Bills in 2021 from the University of Pittsburgh.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) both released statements saying they were praying for Hamlin and his family.
About 100 fans eventually gathered a block away from the entrance to the emergency room where Hamlin was taken, and some brought candles, The Associated Press reported.
A community toy drive that Hamlin started had raised more than $3 million as of Tuesday morning after the incident. The listed goal was only $2,500.